Word of mouth, and drop in unannounced so you can get an idea of what the centre is like. I had to find one that could deal with dd's lactose intolerance. I got a few odd repsonses, but finally one I liked.
Go have a look at as many as it takes. Look at numbers in rooms (although they have maximums some centres aren't full) look at the type of programs they run, the food on their menus, staff turnover, the outdoor facilities ( I prefer dirt to astroturf) and then finally gut instinct goes a long way. Good luck, it is a tricky process and one that I know I stressed about.
I looked for what the others ladies mentioned, plus I looked for one that looked like a centre, some are just houses and backyards.......
Ours has the childproof fences all round and sectioned off areas for safety. It also includes food, which is a must for me, and Hubby as a chef, we make sure DS eats well everyday and don't want to stress about whether he will want what the other kids are eating etc, having different lunches to other kids and wanting what they have etc, won't be a problem and the cost is the same, which I was really surprised about....
Definitely LOOK at them, and see if you feel your kids would be happy there. DS loved visiting and will even get a half day, free orientation to make sure he likes it the week before he officially starts.....
I phoned around the centres in my area (ones that were in a suitable location) and went to see the ones I was interested. You definitely get a feel for whether you like the place from the minute you walk in - cleanliness, variety of toys, are the carers friendly and approachable, do the kids playing look happy and healthy (in general) - right down to the smell of a place (it's generally going to smell to some extent of a cleaning product, particularly near the bathrooms, but the rest of the centre shouldn't smell offensive in any way).
One place I went to most of the things I wanted were there "on paper" - but when I went there I just got a bad vibe about the place.
Good luck - it's such a big thing trusting a centre and leaving your littlies in the care of someone else!
You might like to look at Family Daycare too, like any type of care people will have pros and cons but DS has been with his FDC since he was 8 months old and she is like another mother to him.
Try to meet a few of the carers, these are the people you will be leaving your child with. The centre could be lovely but you might find that the room leader is not someone your child is going to click with.. Another thing to check out is how many people will be caring for your little one. There were about 12 at the last centre DS was at, so sometimes I was leaving him with near strangers. A good centre will attempt to have some consistency with the carers.
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